Identifying attachment for motor vehicles



June 24, 1930. B. c. I ORING IDENTIFYING ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Original Filed Oct. 4, 1928 angl.

Patented June 24, l193e 1,765,843

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BENJAMIN c. LORING, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssrGNoR To RosANA c. LORING, E

' DETROIT, MICHIGAN IDENTIFYING ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Application flied October 4, 1928, Serial No. 310,290. Renewed November'23, 1929.

This invention is embodied in an attachcated by line 4:-4 of Figure 1, showing the ment adapted to be secured to amotor vehicle Symbol plate and a portion of the license frame, and including a casing having an plate in section. outer Wall which may face either rearward Figures 5 and G are fragmentary sections,

5 or forward as an element of either a rear showing the left hand end portion of Figure or a front signal, a1ight-transmitting license 4:, and illutrtingthe Operatien of alltoplate inseparably secured to and sealed in IIHLiCLlly IOCkiIlg the Symbol plate in the the easing, and visible through the outer Casing.

Wall thereof, the license plate constituting Figure 7 is a -view similar to Figure 2,

10 a permanent or non-renewable element, and showing the casing and license plate vof an a dated symbol-plate which is ingertable in attachment embodying the invention, adapt'- the casing, visible through the outer wall ed for use at the front end of a vehicle. thereof yand automatically locked in the Figure 8 shows the inner side Wall of the casing, so that it can be removed only when casing shown by Figure 7 separated from broken into fragments, its removal preventthe major portion of the casing, which .in- 65 ing its further use on another vehicle, the clude's the outer side wall and the marginal attachment including il uminating means Walls. adapted to project light hrough the license y Figure 9 is a perspective View of the stop plate, so that the latter may be clearly seen signal strip. v at night. Figure 10 is a perspective View ofthe sym- 70 When the attachment is embodied in a rear bol plate. A

Signal, the outer wall of the casing includes Figure l1 iS il plspeeffive View' 0f the lia narrow elongated light-transmitting stop CCIlSe plate signal strip, located above the license and Figure 12 ShOWS 2L IOCkiIig COllpliIlg memv- Symbol plates, the illuminating means inber fixed to a member of the vehicle frame, 75

' cluding a lamp adapted to be lighted by a and engageable with a complemental locking movement of the vehicle brake pedal to give Cellpling member, fiXeCl t0 the easing and a stop Warning. Showing by Figure 2.

. The. Casing' is'provded With means Wherg- Figure 13 SllOWS 111 IIGIBIl-giged ICltliOll, by it may be inseparably locked 01- coup'led the locking coupling. members shown by Fig- 80 to the frame of a motor Vehicle. ures 2 and 12. The objects of the invention will be ap- The same reference characters indicate the parent from the foregoing and from the Seme parts in all of the figures. following description: My improved attachment comprises a casas Of the accompanying drawings forming a ing 0r box, preferably composed Ofsheet 85 part of this Specification, .4 metal, and including an outer side Wall 14,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the Cashaving openings 1 5 and 16. The opening ing element of a, rear signal embodying the 15 :is formed to expose the license plate 17, invention, the license and symbol plates, and ShOWIl Separately by Flgllre 11, and the open- 40 the stop signal strip being omitted, to show 'ing 16 1s formed to expose thesymbol plate 90 the interior of the casing. 18, shown separately by Figure 10.

Figure 2 is a section on the plane indicated .FlXeCl t0 the O uter Slde Wall are narrow by line 2-2 of Figure l, showing the license inwardly proJectlng marginal walls includplate and the stop signal strip in section, inga top Wall 19, a bottom wall 20, and opin their operative positions. poslte end wa1ls'21 and 22. The end wall 95 Figure 3'is a section on the plane indi- 2.1 is provlded With a symbol plate-receiv' cated by line 3 3 of Figure 1, showing the ing slot 23,.and an internal detent 24, whose symbol plate and the stop signal strip in function is hereinafter described. l section in their operative positions. A. The casing is. provided with internal il- '50 Figure 4 is a section on the plane indiluminating means, including an electric lamp 10o 25, in the upper ortion. When the attachment is adapted or-use as a rear end signal, the illuminating means may include an electric lamp 26, in the lower portion of the CaS1Il This; license plate 17 is a permanent or nonrenewable element of the att-achment and is built into the casing, preferably by confining ears 27, fixed to the outer side wall, as indicated by Figures 1, 2, 7 and 8, and embracing opposite edges of the license plate, one end of said plate abutting the end wall 22, and the opposite end abuttinv an internal partition 28 (Figures l and 4 The license plate 17 is of light-transmitting material, preferably so-called nonbreakable glass, which is not colored, and is provided with characters such as those shown by Figure 11, which are translucent, and visible by articial 'light transmitted from within the casing, through the plate, and by daylight impinging on the outer surface of the plate.

l When the attachment is adapted for use at the rear end of a vehicle, the license-plate Y characters are preferably red. In the attachment adapted for use at the front end, the license-plate characters are preferably green.

The symbol plate 18 is preferably vof opaque material, such as aluminum, and bears dating characters indicating the year, and symbolic characters indicating a State.

The symbol plate is insertable in the slot 23, and guided during its insertion by confining ears 30 (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6). The detent 24 is preferably a resilient metal strip attached at one end to the end Wall 21, and having a free end projecting slightly across the slot 23, as best shown by .Flgure 6, the arrangement being such that when the symbol plate 18 is being pushed into the slot 23, as indicated by Figure 5, the free end of the detent is slightly displaced, and when the plate is fully inserted, the detent springs against the end wall and slightly overlaps the outer end of the symbol plate, as shown by Figure 6, so that the plate is locked in the casing and cannot be removed, except by breakage of the plate.

`The symbol plate may be broken into fragments small enough to be removed through the opening 16, by pressure or force exerted on its exposed outer si-de. T o facilitate such breaka e I provide the symbol plate with a weaenin-g groove 32, vextending across its inner side, so that pressure exerted on the outer side will break the plate into two equal parts, each removable through the opening 16. The symbol plate when fully inserted, abuts the partition 28, as shown vby Figure 4.-

It will nowv be seen that itl is impossible to remove the symbol plate and transfer it to the casing of a like attachment on another vehicle, and that when the time comes for renewing the symbol plate, this may be accomplished by breaking the old plate, removing the fragments thereof, and then inserting a new plate, whichv is auto-- vmatically loclked by the detent in its 1nr3), fixed to the outer side Wall, the strip 35 extending from end to end of the casing, so that its ends abut the end walls 21 and 22. The' signal strip is arranged to be illuminated by the lamp 25, some of the rays of which may be reflected downward by top wall 19, which has a reflecting inner surface, and is preferably curved, or slightly arched, asshown by Figure 1. The bottom wall 20 may be reversely' curved or arched and adapted to reflect light, rays from the lamp 26. The lamp 25 may be lighted by the depression of the brake pedal of a motor vehicle, as usual.

When the attachment is adapted for use' at the front end of a vehicle, the bottom Wall 2O may be flat instead of curved, the stop signal strip 35 and opening 34 being omitted, as indicated by Figures 7 and 8. In all other respects the attachment shown by Figures 7 A and 8 may be the same as above described, the attachment including the license plate 17, the symbol plate 18, and the means for automatically locking the symbol plate in its operative position.

The inner side wall of the casing is designated by 38, and is formed to be seated on the exposed edges of the marginal walls 19, 20, 21 and 22. The inner side wall 38 is rigidly secured to the marginal walls, pref-` outer side wall 14 and the marginal walls, and a minor portion formed by the inner side wall 38. The major portion may be formed in a single piece by a stamping or pressing operation, and the several plates may be secured as above described, to the major portion before the inner side wall is applied, the application and securing of the inner side wall closing and sealingy the casing.

I utilize the inner side wall 38 to carry the illuminating means, the bulbs 25 and 26, or the bulb 25 only, being fixed to the wall 38, and located by the application of said wall to the major portion of the casing.

The attachment preferablyincludes a supportin standard or shank 40,:electrical1y welde or otherwise fixed to the 'inner side 'composed of a major portion including the i wall 38, and provided at its lower end withv a locking coupling member engageable with a complemental locking couplin member fixed to a part of a motor vehic e, the arrangement being such that the standard 40 may be quickly and rigidly secured to supportthe casing in a predetermined position.

The preferred embodiment of the locking coupling members isas shown by Figures 2 and 13. The standard 40 is provided with an enlargement or socket 41, containing a sleeve 42, on which are formed two opposed spaced apart inclineddogs or pawls 43.

The complemental locking coupling member is a bolt 44, i-nserted in orifices formed for its reception in a member 45, of the vehicle frame, and provided with a head 46, a threaded portion 47, and a flat sided upper end portion, on two sides of which are formed ratchet teeth 48, adapted to engage the dogs 43, when the standard socket 41 is forced down on to the bolt, as shown by Figure 13. The bolt is secured by a nut 49, having a compressible washer 50, which is indented by the lower end of the socket 41, and seals the open end of the socket, as shown by Figure 13.

The standard 40 is preferably welded to the inner side of the side wall 38, and extends through a slot at 51 (Figure 2) in the bottom wall 20. It will be seenthat the operation of securing the inner side wall 38 to the major portion of the casing, provides the attachment not only with illuminating means, but also with a supporting standard, adapted to be interlocked with a suitable member fixed to the frame.

The characters on the license plate of the attachment adapted for use at the front end, sufficiently obstruct light transmitted through said plate to enable the attachment to serve as a non-glaring head-light.

I claim:

1. An identifying attachment for motor vehicles, comprising a casing having openings in one side formed to expose a license plate anda symbol plate within the casing, a symbol plate-receiving slot in one end, and an internal detcnt adapted to automatically lock a symbol plate inserted in the casing through the slot, illuminating means within the casing, a light-transmitting license plate built into the casing and visible through one of said openings, and a dated symbol plate inserted in said slot and locked within the casing by said detent, the symbol plate being exposed to breaking force and sep- Y arable from the casing only when broken.

2. An identifying attachment for motor vehicles, as specified by claim l, the casing,

having a narrow elongated opening located above the license and symbol plate openings and formed to expose a signal strip in the casing, the attachment comprising also a light-transmitting signal strip built into the lmajor portion which inclu es an outer side wall, and top, bottom, and end walls prof jecting from the outer wall, and a closed inner side wall fixed to the top, bottom and, end walls, and sealing the casing, the outer side wall containing the sight openings and having confining means engaging the license plate and tlie symbol plate, the symbol plate-receiving slot being formed in one of the end walls, the inner side wall supporting the illuminating means, and being attachable to the top, bottom, and end walls to close and seal the casing after the plates have been secured in the major portion of the casing.

5. .An identifying attachment as specified by claim 1, the casing being composed of a major portion which includes an outer side wall, and top, bottom, and end walls projecting from the outer wall, and a closed inner side wall fixed to the top, bottom, and end walls, and sealing the casing, the outer side wall containing the sight openings and having confining means engaging the license plate and the symbol plate, the symbol platereceiving slot being formed in one of the end walls, the inner side wall supporting the illuminating means, and being attachable to the top, bottom, and end walls to close and seal the casing after the plates have been secured in the major portion of the casing, the attachment including also a supporting standard fixed to the inner side wall and provided with a locking coupling member engageable with a complemental coupling member, fixed to a part of a vehicle, said standard being secured to the casing by the operation of securing the inner side wall to the major portion of the casing. v

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

BENJAMIN C. LORING. 

